1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of battery jumper cables or battery booster cables.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Jumper cables or booster cables have been used for years to enable one to use the good battery in one car to start the engine in another car which will not start because the battery in the latter car is run-down, weakened or dead. This starting process is commonly known as jump-starting. Typical battery jumper cables or battery booster cables are disclosed and described in Consumer Reports, Vol. 44, January 1979, pp. 42-46 and Consumer Reports Buying Guide, Vol. 44, December 1979, pp. 410-14. The terms jumper cables and booster cables are used interchangeably.
Battery jumper cables typically consist of two cables, each one being an insulated wire having a clamp at each end as shown in FIG. 1. To jump start a dead battery, one cable 7 is connected to positive terminal 3 of dead battery 1 and then to positive terminal 4 of good battery 2. The other cable 8 is connected to negative terminal 6 of good battery 2 and then to a suitable ground 5 in the car with dead battery 1. The final connection should be made to a suitable group 5 and not to negative terminal 9 of dead battery 1.
Connecting jumper cables, however, can be dangerous, even if the above procedure is used. A car battery emits combustible gases and connecting a jumper cable could produce a spark that could case an explosion. A battery explosion is especially dangerous because the acid inside the battery could splatter on one's skin or into one's eye causing permanent damage.
When connecting jumper cables, the final connection typically produces a spark. This spark is dangerous because the combustible gases emitted by the battery could be ignited. In the above-described procedure for connecting jumper cables, one tries to reduce the possibility of explosion by making the last connection to a suitable ground 5, slightly away from the battery. It would be desirable, however, to have a set of jumper cables in which the final connection occurs well away from the battery, completely eliminating the possibility of an explosion.
Prior art storage battery devices for starting vehicles have been equipped with a remote momentary contact switch. One such device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,689. These storage battery devices, however, are designed for use on a tow truck by an experienced attendant and not by the public.
These devices also present additional problems. For example, the remote momentary contact switch shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,689 only activates the additional circuitry which is used to connect the storage battery to the jumper cables. By itself, it does not complete the electrical circuit between the batteries. Final connection only occurs when a separate low power solenoid activates and closes a second switch located near the battery. Even with this device, there is still the danger of an explosion from a spark generated by the closing of the solenoid activated switch near the battery.
In the prior art procedure described above for jump starting a dead battery with jumper cables, the last connection is typically made by attaching the free end of cable 8, whose other end is attached to negative terminal 6 of good battery 2, to any unpainted part of the engine block in the car with dead or weakened battery 1. There is no guaranty, however, that a person will make the connection at a sufficient distance from the battery to insure that no explosion could take place. Similarly, because of the size of the engine compartment, it is only possible to remove the spark from the battery by at most a few feet with prior art jumper cables and the prior art attaching procedure.
It would be desireable, therefore, to have a set of battery jumper cables in which the final connection is made outside of either engine compartment, well away from the battery which could explode.